Former Liverpool star John Aldridge has urged Sweden boss Graham Potter to give Alexander Isak a full 90 minutes in their upcoming World Cup qualifier to build his fitness for the Reds.
According to a report from Liverpool.com, Liverpool striker Alexander Isak’s patchy start to his career has been further derailed by a knee injury, though the layoff is shorter than initially feared, with the timeline for recovery placed at between three and five weeks.
The injury, sustained after an awkward tangle in the 2-2 draw against the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, is expected to keep the Slovenian international out until December.
If recovery takes the full five weeks, the £125M summer signing could return to contention against Bournemouth on Dec. 15.
Isak has missed almost a month of action due to both the knee issue and a hamstring injury, with his only goal for the club coming against lower-league opposition in the League Cup.
Former Liverpool player John Aldridge weighed in on the player’s situation, stressing the need for fitness. Aldridge hoped Isak would get significant time in Sweden’s international fixture, stating:
“After returning to action over the weekend, you’d like to think the next step for Alexander Isak in his comeback is to get 90 minutes for Sweden against Slovenia… That is the thing he needs first and foremost now: minutes in the bank.”
Aldridge added that despite the frustration: “But we know why that is, it has been well documented that he didn’t get any sort of preseason to call his own in his final weeks up at Newcastle.”
He nevertheless defended the striker’s quality, reminding readers: “Looks, he is a natural goalscorer, he has proven that during his time at Newcastle United and there is a reason why he is a player who cost £125M only two months ago.”